Leahy Versus Albedoman and the Moneygoround, Part One

Edward Wyatt reports:

Now the Obama administration is cracking down on what many call patent trolls, shell companies that exist merely for the purpose of asserting that they should be paid . . . “The United States patent system is vital for our economic growth, job creation, and technological advance,” [Senator] Leahy said in a statement. “Unfortunately, misuse of low-quality patents through patent trolling has tarnished the system’s image.”

There is some opposition:

But some big software companies, including Microsoft, expressed dismay at some of the proposals, saying they could themselves stifle innovation.

Microsoft . . . patent trolls . . . hmmm, where have we heard this connection before?

There is also some support for the bill:

“These guys are terrorists,” said John Boswell, chief legal officer for SAS, a business software and services company, said at a panel discussion on Tuesday. SAS was cited in the White House report as an example of a company that has spent millions to defend itself against what it believes are frivolous lawsuits.

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